Game board and multiple elements therefor



Feb. 12, 1952 P. OLSEN 2,585,268

GAME BOARD AND MULTIPLE ELEMENTS THEREFOR Filed May 11, 1946 404 0L SEN, f/VVEA/ roe.

Arraewsn Patented Feb. 12 1952 GAME BOARD AND MULTIPLE ELEMENTS THEREFOR Paul Olsen, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application May 11, 1946, Serial No. 669,176

12 Claims.

This invention relates generally to games of skill, and more particularly to games played on a board by two or more persons, using movable pieces of various shapes and functions.

One of the oldest known board games of this general type is checkers. Checkers, however, is not completely satisfactory as a game for highly skilled players since only a relatively limited number of different situations can arise in any game. Chess, which is believed to be a development of checkers is, on the other hand, usually too diificult for the casual player, this because of its many and varied types of moves and playing pieces.

Another disadvantage in both chess and checkers insofar as the casual player is concerned lies in the fact that the playing board is and remains always of the same pattern, that is, the types and directions of possible moves are governed only by other pieces. Furthermore, the players have no tactical control over the character of the area on which these games are played.

Another general class of games, which in cludes for example dominoes and Mah Jong, has for its object the formation of complex patterns of playing pieces laid next to each other, the players usually placing the pieces in the pattern one at a time and taking alternate moves. Such games, however, lack the element of tactics in maneuvering playing pieces into various dominating positions, and hence are not particularly popular.

With the foregoing drawbacks to previous board games in mind, then, it is one object of my invention to provide a game wherein the character of the playing board as to the number and arrangement of playing spaces is continuously changed and is capable of a substantially infinite number of variations.

Another object is the provision of a game wherein the aforesaid character of the playing board is to some extent, under the control of each player as the game progresses.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a board game having some of the characteristics of checkers, and some of the characteristics of chess, but adaptable to be played by more than two persons.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a game of the class described in which a large number of different situations are possible without having the drawback, however, of requiring a large variety of differently moved playing pieces with a complex set of rules. For example, in the game of chess each player has sixteen pieces of six difierent types, some of which have several different ,types of moves, dependent upon the situation and progress of the game. There are, in fact, about sixteen possible types of moves all of which must be memorized. In one game embodying my invention, on the other hand, there are only three types of playing pieces and five types of moves to be memorized, yet the possibility of variation in situations is substantially as great as in chess.

In general, games embodying my invention make use of a number of flat polygonal tokens referred to hereinafter as tiles, which are placed on the board one at a time, to form the playing surface on which other pieces are moved, somewhat after the fashion of chess and checker men. For a more detailed description of a game constructed according to my invention, reference should now be had to the attached drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the board and playing pieces thereon, with a game in progress between two players;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of one of two types of tile used in the game illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the other type of tile used in the game;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a playing piece referred to hereinafter as a king; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevational view of a playing piece referred to hereinafter as a man.

Referring now to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the playing board H) is of more or less conventional size and shape for board games, having on its upper surface a generally square recessed area I I. The area i l is marked off into 1'1 square spaces 9 arranged in the pattern shown in Fig. 1 and recessed to a depth equal to the thickness of one of the tiles l2 or l3. The spaces 9 into which the area H is divided are square and of and one having diagonal arms.

substantially the same size and shape as the tiles l2 and I3, thus providing guides for placement of the tiles in the area I l. The tiles l2 and I3 are of two types as are illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3; the first type l2, illustrated in Fig. 2, is marked in any suitable manner on the top surface thereof with a pair of "superimposed crosses, one having vertical and horizontal arms, The second type of tile l3 isillustrated in Fig. 3, and has in addition to the markings on the first type l2 a circular spot l4 overthe intersection of the crosses. The type of tile illustrated in Fig. 3 and having a circular spot thereon is referred to as a stop,

Along each of the four edges of the board I0, adjacent the recessed area II are a number of round spots marked in any suitable manner on the surface of the playing board I0. There are seven such spots I5 adjacent each edge of the recessed area II constituting a row referred to hereinafter as the home row. All the spots I5 in any of the four home rows are interconnected by lines I5 marked on the surface of the board I0. Each spot I5 has in addition rectilinearly disposed lines I8 and diagonally disposed lines I! connecting it to the edge of the recessed area I I, those at the end of the home row having only one diagonal line projecting therefrom, the balance having two diagonal lines and one rectilinearly disposed line. The lines projecting from the spots I5 and those on such tiles I2 and I3 as are in the area II, form paths over which playing pieces may move in a manner to be hereinafter more fully described.

The maneuverable playing pieces are of two types: kings 20 as illustrated in Fig. 4 and men 2| as illustrated in Fig. 5. The maneuverable playing pieces may, of course, be of any desirable shape, those illustrated being by way of example only. The kings 20 and men II are divided into four groups, each group comprising one king 20 and six men 2 I, each group having all members of the same color or other characteristic marking.

The game may be played by any number of persons from two to four, the move passing successively around the board and each player being seated adjacent one of the home rows. When only two persons play, they sit on opposite sides of the board and the fourteen lateral square spaces 9 of the recessed area II and the two lateral home rows are disregarded, the play being confined to the remaining squares 9 of the recessed area II and the two home rows adjacent the players. The area of play for two persons is delineated by dotted lines 23--24 in Fig. 1. With respect to any one player, the home row on the opposite side of the board is to be considered as his king row. For example, with the board set up as in Fig. 1, the row of spots I5 on the bottom edge of the board I would be considered as the home row for a player sitting in front of the board, but as the king row for a person sitting behind the board.

Rules of the game The game may be played by 2, 3, or- 4 players. When played by two persons, the players sit opposite as in chess and when played by three or four persons, the players sit around the board, each adjacent a home row.

Each player receives at the start of the game one group of playing pieces, comprising a king, six men, and thirty two tiles, sixteen of which have stops as illustrated in Fig. 3, and sixteen of which do not, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The playing pieces are placed each on one of the spots I of the home row, each player having the option of placing the king on whichever spot he desires.

The first player to move, places one of his tiles in one of the square guide spaces 9 of the recessed area II. Once placed, the tiles, may not be removed. When each player participating has placed one tile on the board II)v as just described, each player may, when his turn comes, either place a tile or move one of his playing pieces, the type of move being at the player's option.

As the tiles are laid down in the guide spaces 9, they form a playing area and the lines I9 on the surfaces of the tiles form a pattern of rectilinear and diagonal lines and stops which govern the movement of the maneuverable pieces. Each man 2| or king 20 may move only I along an unbroken path, either diagonal or rectilinear, and may move only from one stop to the next in a line. The men and king may move along paths either in the home row or paths formed by the lines I9 on the surfaces of the tiles I2 and I3.

Any maneuverable piece in a group may be captured by any such piece in another group by jumping, as in checkers. Jumps may be made only from one stop to another, but may be either in a rectilinear or diagonal direction forward or backward. As in checkers, as many successive jumps may be made in one move as the opportunity affords. For example, with the pieces in the position shown in Fig. 1, the white king 20 could jump twice along the path indicated by the dotted lines, arriving in the king row and capturing two black men. As is usual in games of this sort, the captured pieces are removed from the board. Men or kings may, in addition to capturing as just described, jump over other pieces of their own group. Pieces jumped by other pieces in the same group in this manner are not removed from the board. Jumping is not compulsory as it is in checkers.

Any player wins who is able to: (a) move his king into the king row opposite him and in a position immune to capture; or capture the kings of all other players while still retaining his own king. For example, the white king 20 in making the move indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 would, in addition to capturing two opposing men, win the game since he would arrive in a position immune to capture.

It is to be noted that even if the king is lost, the player losing him still has a chance for a draw in that he can still maneuver his men to capture the remaining king or kings.

When a king has been moved into the king row, each of the remaining players may take one more move. and it is to be noted that the game is ended only if the king in the king row remains uncaptured after these additional moves.

When played by three persons, each player receives, in addition to the playing pieces, twenty-five, tiles, twelve with stops and thirteen without. When two persons play, each player receives thirty-two tiles, sixteen of each type.

The game just described has been found both fascinating and absorbing by experienced chess and checker players in that it provides the combination in one game of the factor of careful planning in the laying out of the tiles, and the factor of mental agility in the maneuver of the play n pie Many modifications within the spirit of the invention are possible. For example, the tiles may be of any shape so long as they may be'fitted together to form a contiguous area; e. g., they may be hexagonal, triangular, or some of each of several shapes.

Another modified form of game using the apparatus described herein may be played without'a special'board, the tiles being laid out on any suitable flat surface and maneuverable pieces placed on the playing surface as it develops.

Wh le the-c me ap a tu us t d nd des e er in. is. u v ca b e of. a hiev n t e objects and providing the advantages hereinbe- 5. fore set forth, it is to be regarded as illustrative only and I do not mean to be limited thereto, but rather to the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for board games, the combination of: a plurality of identically shaped polygonal tile-like pieces having straight edges adapted to be placed in'contiguous relationship with each other to form a continuous playing surface, said tile-like pieces each having surface markings thereon including lines extending substantially thereacross to cooperate to form a play-guiding pattern on said playing surface; movable upstanding playing pieces adapted to be moved about on said playing surface in conformitywith said pattern; and board means having a recessed area formed therein to receive said contiguously placed tile pieces, whereby to define limits to said playing surface, said recessed area having markings thereon whereby to guide the placement of said tile pieces.

2. In apparatus for board games, the combina tion of: a plurality of polygonal tile-like pieces adapted to be placed in various contiguous relationships with each other to form 'a playing surface, said tile-like pieces each having surface markings thereon including guide lines extending inwardly from the edges of said tile-like piece and adapted to cooperate with said lines on other tile-like pieces to form various playguiding patterns on said playing surface depending on said relationship; movable upstanding playing pieces adapted to be moved about on said playing surface in conformity with said pattern: and board means having a recessed area formed therein to receive said contiguously placed tile pieces, whereby to define limits to said playing surface, said board means having markings thereon adjacent said recessed area and outside thereof defining starting positions for said playing pieces. r 8. In apparatus for board games, the combination of: a plurality of identically: shaped polygonal tile-like pieces adapted to be placed in contiguous relationship with each other to form a playing surface, each of said tile-like pieces havplaying surface, said board means having markings thereon adjacent said recessed area defining starting positions for said playing pieces, and said recessed area having lines marked thereon defining areas congruent to said tile-like pieces to guide placement of said tile-like pieces.

4. Apparatus for a board game including in combination: a board having a polygonal recessed area formed therein, said area being marked off into equal square spaces and said board having marked on unrecessed surfaces adjacent edges of said recessed area, a plurality of rows of starting positions, comprising spots of equal area each adapted to receive a playing piece thereon and being connected by rectilinearly and diagonally disposed lines to said adjacent edge; a. plurality of square tiles substantially equal in area to said square spaces and in thickness to the depth of said recessed area, said tiles having straight lines marked on a surface thereof joining the opposite corners of said surface and the opposite sides thereof, some of said tiles havin in addition to said straight lines, a stopping position marked thereon at the intersection of said lines, of an area substantially equal to said starting positions to receive a playing piece thereon, whereby said tiles are adapted ,to form, when contiguously placed on said square spaces, aplaying surface with continuous rectilinear and diagonal paths thereon, said paths connected with said starting positions and having stopping positions defined therein; and a plurality of distinctively marked groups of upstanding movable playing pieces adapted to be moved about on said playing surface along said paths and resting on said stopping positions, said groups each include ing a principal playing piece and a pluralityhof subordinate playing pieces.

5. In a board game of the type in which playing pieces are moved on a playing field which is constructed during the progress of the game, board pieces which comprise: a plurality of identically shaped tiles, each having on a surface thereof a plurality of rectilinearly and diagonally disposed intersecting lines, said lines being positioned the same on all of said tiles whereby to always align with lines on adjacent tileswhen said tiles are contiguously arranged whereby to form a playing field with a plurality of intersecting play-guiding paths thereon, some of said tiles bearing indicia at the intersection of said lines defining stopping points for said playing pieces whereby the character of said playing field is determined by the arrangement of said tiles.

6. Apparatus for a board game including in combination: a plurality of identically shaped polygonal tiles all of equal thickness, the internal angles of the top surface of saidtiles each being a sub-multiple of 360 whereby said tiles may be placed in various contiguous relationships to form a continuous playing surface, said tiles each having a portion of a path marked on the surface thereof, said path portions extending substantially across said tile whereby to cooperate with said markings on other'tiles to form continuous paths on said playing surfaces; and a plurality of playing pieces having supporting bases of lesser area than said tile surfaces whereby to be moved about on said playing surface along said paths.

7. Apparatus for a board game including in combination: a plurality of polygonal tiles all of equal thickness, the internal angle of the top surface of said tiles each being a sub-multiple of 360 whereby said tiles may be placed in various contiguous relationships to form a continuous playing surface, said tiles each having a portion of a path marked on the surface thereof, said path portions extending substantially across said tile whereby to cooperate with said markings on other tiles to form continuous paths on said playing surface; a plurality of playing pieces having supporting bases of lesser area than said tile surfaces whereby to be moved about on said playing surface along said paths; and a playing board having a recessed area of depth equal to said thickness of said tile pieces to receive said tiles, the boundaries of said area being straight, and each a multiple of the length of a side of one of said tiles whereby to limit the extent of said playing surface to a predetermined number of said tiles.

8. The apparatus set forth in claim 7 further I characterized in that said board has an unrecessed area adjacent a starting edge of said recessed area with markings thereon defining starting po-.

sitions for said playing pieces and-a path portion leading from each of said starting positions to said edge aligned to cooperate with said markings on tiles placed against said starting .edge to form continuous paths from said starting positions onto said playing surface.

9. Apparatus for a board game including in combination: a game board having a flat con.- tinuous playing surface with a grid of continuous diagonally disposed and rectilinearly disposed, mutuallyintersecting play-guiding paths marked thereon, a delineated area of said surface bein divided into a plurality of contiguous separate removable tiles; and a plurality of playing pieces each having a supporting base of less area than that of any of said tiles, to be moved along said paths and rest on said tiles individually. 10. The apparatus set forth in claim 9 further characterized in that said board has a plurality starting positions marked on an area of said playing surface outside of said delineated area and a plurality of path portions leading from said starting positions to the adjacent edge of said delineated area.

11. Apparatus for aboard game including in combination: a plurality of square tiles of substantially identical dimensions, each having apair of forty-five degree diagonal lines and a pair of rectilinearly disposed lines marked on the top surface thereof, said lines all extending entirely across said tiles and all lines on any tile intersecting substantially at the center of said surface whereby to form continuous paths in a. playing surface constructed byplacing said tiles in contiguous edge-to-edge relation, some of said tiles having spots marked at said center to identify stopping points in said paths; and a plurality of movable upstanding playing pieces each having a supporting base of substantially less area than said surface whereby to be moved about on said playing surface along said paths.

12. Apparatus for a board game including in combination: a plurality of square tiles of substantially identical dimensions, each having a pair 0! forty-five decree diagonal lines and a pair of rectilinearly' disposed lines marked on the top surface thereof, said lines all extending entirely across said tiles and all lines on any tile intersecting substantially at the center of said surface whereby to form continuous paths in a playing surface constructed by placing said tiles in contiguous edge-to-edge relation; a plurality of movable upstanding playing pieces each having a supporting base of substantially less area than said surface whereby to be moved about on said playing surface along said paths; and a board having a rectilinear tile-receiving area defined thereon of edge dimensions equal to even multiples of the edges of said tiles, and having a pair of groups of starting positions defined thereon outside of said area, said groups being arranged along opposite edges of said area and the positions in each group being connected by lines to equally spaced points in the adjacent edge of said tile-receiving area whereby to continue the paths in said playing area to said starting positions.

PAUL OLSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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